Selections

The newsletter of the Sarasota County Library System

~ April 2008 ~ Volume 3, Issue 1

Read Selections online each month or sign up here to have it delivered to you by email.

In this Issue:

• National Library News
• Featured Databases
• Local Library News
• Community Connection
• Featured Stories
• Staff Picks
• Events
• Featured Internet Sites
• Reference Question
  of the Month
• Volunteer News
• Your Feedback

This month's issue is brought to you
by the entire staff of the
Sarasota County Library System
in honor of National Library Week.

 

National Library News:



Join the Circle of Knowledge @ Your Library:
Celebrate National Library Week, April 13-19

It’s National Library Week, a time to celebrate the contributions of libraries, librarians and library workers in schools, campuses and communities nationwide--and the perfect time to discover how you can join the circle of knowledge @ your library. Everyday, libraries in big cities and small towns, colleges and universities, in schools and in businesses help transform their communities. At our library, people of all backgrounds can come together for community meetings, lectures and programs, to do research with the assistance of a trained professional, to get a job or to find homework help. First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April. It is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation's libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support.  For more information, call or visit your nearest Sarasota County Library location.

Featured Databases:

Learn More About Four of the Library's Online Databases

Click the database names below
for more information.

For business information:

For newspaper and magazine articles:

For genealogical research  at the library:

For genealogical research at the library or at home:

Senior Coffee Club Starting Up at North Port Library

Did you know that May is Older Americans Month? To help celebrate the month, the North Port Library is kicking off its Senior Coffee Club with a meeting on Friday, May 2, 2008. These casual get-togethers at the library are open to anyone 50 or older.   Join the club for a cup of coffee and good conversation. On the first Friday of each month, they’ll explore a new theme of interest to the group. Sometimes they’ll have guest speakers; sometimes they’ll have activities; sometimes they’ll just talk; but they’ll always have fun. The first month’s theme is “How to Stay Mentally Healthy” with guest speaker Carolyn Stephens from Jewish Family and Children’s Service. But before the speaker begins, they’ll get to know one another and talk a bit about what they want for future Coffee Club meetings. Future themes could be “Memoirs:  Pass It On,” “Frugal Living,” “Road Trips,” “Liars Club,” “Hobbies” or whatever the fertile minds of the Coffee Club participants choose. So join in! The Senior Coffee Club meets the first Friday of every month at 10 a.m. in the Juliano Room of the North Port Library. If you’d like more information on this or any program at the North Port Library, call the library at 941-861-1310. The North Port Library is open Monday and Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

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Sarasota Garden Club's
71st Annual Flower Show,
1131 Blvd. of the Arts,
April 12 - 13, 2008

Featured Stories:

Favorite Books

In honor of National Library Week, we talked to people around the library
and asked about their favorite book or the first book they remember reading
or having read to them. Here is what they said: 

“The first book I remember reading was when I went away to summer camp. I read Little Women. I was enthralled and enjoyed being transported to another place and time. I was hooked! I have been an avid reader ever since!”

“I love reading books by Robert Parker because the chapters are short and the writing is so clever.”

“The first book I remember reading is Good Night Owl. The sky is purple and the tree is vibrantly full of life when owl SCREECHES, waking everybody up! Purple skies and trees full of birds will always carry a big part of the meaning of life!”

“I remember the annual family reading of Twas the Night Before Christmas. That book will always hold special memories for me.”

“Uncle Wiggily and his Friends is the first storybook I remember my father reading to me. It’s the collected tales of Uncle Wiggily, the ‘gentleman rabbit,’ who, decked out in a tux and top hat, has adventures with his friends and outwits the lions and tigers who would like nothing better than to eat him. Beautifully illustrated and wonderfully told, this book remains one of my fondest memories.”

“I remember looking at the illustrations and trying to learn the words in 'The Book House' collections, especially the 'Fairy Tales' volume. To this day, I am fascinated with 'Fairy Tales' and 'Fairy Tales Revisited.'”

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Staff Picks:

This month the staff of the
Frances T. Bourne Jacaranda Library shares their reading picks.

Events:

"One Book, One Community" Chooses "Sweetheart Deal" Sarasota County libraries popular program "One Book, One Community" returns this month and features former Sarasota attorney Claire Hamner Matturro’s novel "Sweetheart Deal," a legal mystery with a sense of humor.   The novel follows Sarasota attorney Lilly Belle Cleary back to her backwater hometown of Bugfest, Georgia to solve a murder and save her mother’s life. The smart and sassy Cleary has been the central character in three previous Matturro mysteries, "Skinny-Dipping," "Bone Valley" and "Wildcat Wine."   "This is so great and I’m honored that the library asked me to join them for this program during National Library Week," Matturro said. "I love libraries and totally believe in them. Plus, coming to Sarasota is always fun because it’s like coming home." Matturro graduated high school in Sarasota and returned here after law school, practicing law with the firm of Dickinson and Gibbons for nine years. She is the daughter of area veteran newspaper man, John Hamner.   Matturro will make two public appearances on Monday, April 14: 10 a.m. at Selby Public Library and 2 p.m. at Venice Public Library. She will read excerpts from "Sweetheart Deal," describe the evolution of her characters, reflect on the craft of writing and sign copies of her books. Matturro’s visit will also coincide with National Library Week, April 13-19.   Matturro’s legal mystery series about a high strung Sarasota trial attorney has won national recognition and awards, including the 2007 Romantic Times BOOKreviews' Toby Bromberg for Most Humorous Mystery for "Sweetheart Deal." "Library Journal" said, "Matturro has a fresh voice and lively style (think Janet Evanovich and John Grisham) and as a former appellate attorney and member of the writing faculty at Florida State University College of Law, she’s certainly qualified to write about the law."   The "One Book, One Community" concept began in Seattle, Washington and has been a popular event at Sarasota County libraries in recent years. According to Greg Carlson, Jacaranda Public Library Manager, "The program encourages everyone to read the same book, which invites people to come together, feel a sense of community and share their insights with each other and the author." Matturro’s visit is one event in many planned at Sarasota County libraries for the program which runs through April.  For more information on "One Book, One Community" programs, contact the Sarasota County Call Center at 941-861-5000. Click here to search SUNCAT, the library catalog for a copy of "Sweetheart Deal." Additional information on Claire Hamner Matturro and all her books can be found on her Web site, http://www.clairematturro.com.
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Author Terry L. Maple to Speak on Bipartisan Environmentalism at Selby Library Conservation Biologist Terry L. Maple, Ph.D. will speak about and sign copies of the book he wrote with Newt Gingrich on the principle of “Bipartisan Environmentalism.” Focusing the environmental debate on the principle of common commitment, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and eminent conservationist Terry L. Maple declare a need for bipartisan environmentalism, a groundbreaking concept that they believe most Americans will share. The foundation of the book--a ten-point Contract with the Earth--promotes entrepreneurial ingenuity over rhetoric as the way forward. "A Contract with the Earth" gives specific details about projects already in place and working across the globe that benefit both business and the environment. Dr. Maple's talk takes place in Selby Library's Geldbart Auditorium on Thursday, April 10 at 6 p.m. For more information contact the Sarasota County Call Center at 941-861-5000 and ask about Dr. Terry Maple at Selby Public Library.	Celebrate Earth Week with the City of Sarasota and Partners, April 21-25, 2008 Earth Week is a free week of events brought to you by the City of Sarasota's Neighborhood Partnership Office, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Sarasota Bay Estuary Program and Green Building University. Events include lectures; frog, plant and education exhibits; information booths; meet and greets; and sustainability pledges.    Selby Library will host four programs during Earth Week: "A Neighborhood Approach to Watershed Management," April 22, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. "Living Green-Home Energy Conservation," April 22, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. "Food Choices and Your Carbon Footprint," April 23, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. "The Social, Creative and Economic Impact of Trees on the Rise and Fall of Great Civilizations," April 23, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. For more information and a complete listing of the City of Sarasota's Earth Week events, visit yourgreencity.sarasotagov.com.

Search for more library events using our online calendar:
http://sclibs.net/Calendar.aspx.

Featured Internet Sites:

Websites for Floridians

The State of Florida’s Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) evaluations of programs, policies, and issues highlight many areas of Florida agencies and government. OPPAGA provides a variety of products that contain valuable information for librarians and library patrons: Florida Government Accountability Report (FGAR), an Internet encyclopedia, provides descriptive, evaluative and performance information on more than 200 Florida state government programs. Florida Monitor Weekly, an electronic newsletter, delivers brief announcements of research reports, conferences and other resources of interest for Florida's policy research and program evaluation community. OPPAGA reviews deliver program evaluation, policy analysis and Sunset reviews of state programs to assist the Legislature in overseeing government operations, developing policy choices and making Florida government better. In addition to the OPPAGA, the following two websites also offer interesting Florida-related information: LeRoy Collins Institute is an independent, nonpartisan and non-profit organization, which studies and promotes creative solutions to major private and public issues facing the people of Florida and the nation. Murder on the Beach is a great website to find the best Florida mystery authors. Click on "Florida authors" to find information about authors and their books.

Reference Question of the Month:

What is the difference between AM and FM radio?

Amplitude Modulation (AM) radios receive waves with frequencies between 535,000 and 1,700,000 hertz. In AM broadcasts, the amplitude (strength) of the transmitted waves is modulated. Frequency Modulation (FM) radios use waves with frequencies between 88,000,000 and 108,000,000 hertz. In FM radio, it is the frequency or distance between the waves that is modulated. Radio frequency is the number of complete radio waves in one second. When you set your radio station to a certain number, you are receiving that frequency. The hertz is equal to one cycle per second. It is named for Heinrich Hertz, who in 1889 discovered the radio wave. Hertz was the first person to send and receive radio waves and demonstrated that they behave similarly to light waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves with much longer wavelengths than visible light. The radio changed the way people communicate. Prior to the radio, there was the telegraph, which sent messages over wires in Morse code. The telephone further improved communication, as people could speak directly to each other, but at that time it still required wires to function. Radios were first useful in communication between ships since they didn’t require wires. From the 1920s through the early 1950s radios became popular. Most people did not have televisions until the 1940s and listened to the radio for news, programs and music. Books used in answering this question: Waves: Principles of Light, Electricity, and Magnetism by Paul Fleisher Great Inventions: the Radio by Gayle Worland Waves: Energy on the Move by Darlene Stille

Your Feedback:

Do you like the new look
of Selections?

This month's issue of Selections  debuts a new look for our newsletter. How do you like it? Please send us your comments on the new look and suggestions for what you would like to see in future issues. Send email* to  librarywebmaster@scgov.net (write "Selections" in the subject line) or submit your ideas using the "Your Comments" page on the library website. *Important Notice Regarding privacy and e-mail.SB 80 effective July 1, 2006: Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public-records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead contact this office by phone or in writing.

Volunteer News:

Friends of the Elsie Quirk Library Win
Florida Library Association Award

You Are Invited
to Work Side-by-Side with Library Staff

Libraries merely exist with public funding, but they truly shine with the help of our volunteers. Former library employees, writers, gardeners, mothers, grandfathers, doctors, Girl Scouts, Boys Scouts and many others have devoted their time and energy to making the Sarasota County Library System flourish. The need for volunteers throughout the Library System is ongoing as the library evolves. If you are interested in volunteering, contact the volunteer coordinator at your library. Maybe the next new volunteer will be you!

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